fruit

Couscous is a perfect option for batch cooking. Cooking in batches at the start of the week or over the weekend is the secret to maintaining a healthy diet or working towards a nutrition goal.

As it is officially summer at home in Ireland, it’s time for salads. Adding some grains to your salad is an easy way to bulk up your lunchbox at work. I have used giant or Israeli couscous here but regular couscous, bulgur wheat, rice or quinoa would be perfect replacements.

Serves 4 as a side.

200g couscous grain

400ml boiling hot water

2 tbsp curry powder

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6 dried apricots, diced

2 tbsp raisins

Mix the couscous with the water in a bowl or saucepan. Cover and allow the grain to absorb all the water or cook the grain as per packet instructions.

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It’s so tough getting up these winter mornings, from the darkness that your body still thinks it’s nighttime to the frosty chill the minute you put a toe outside the covers. That’s why you need something warm and filling to get your warmed up quick whilst also keeping your energy levels maintained for the day ahead. Stewed apples are pure comfort food to me, they are perfect at any time of the day as a quick dessert with a scoop of yoghurt or ice-cream. Likewise the poached plums are great topped with some granola and yoghurt as a simple dessert or breakfast option. Both can be prepared well in advance and will keep fresh in your fridge for at least one week or can be frozen. Stewing and poaching fruit is also a great way to use up fruit a little past it’s best, just remove the gone off bits and you’ll still be left be plenty of fruit to work with.

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Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh (Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone)!! Instead of making something shamrock shaped or artificially green in colour, I’ve decided to showcase some of my recipes that naturally allow you to bulk up on your green food content in minutes. I promise your body will thank you for it long after St. Patrick’s Day is over. Our diets should be filled with various colours and green is a common colour found in abundance in fresh fruit and vegetables. All of your regular meals can be easily bulked up with green content by a number of ways: add some spinach, kale, chard or spring onions to your mashed potato; introduce some courgette, cabbage or bok choy to your next stir-fry; replace your normal spaghetti with courgetti; add celery, cucumber and kale to your smoothie; substitute regular rice with broccoli and courgette rice; make a pesto from basil or nettles (if your feeling adventurous) or simply just add mint and lime to your water!

Here are my eight favourite ways to incorporate more green fruit and vegetables in my diet: